Behind Closed Hearts
by OutlawEX
Summary: Upon returning to Lemuris, Lymle must confront demons of her past, and embrace many things to come. Meanwhile Faize is stranded on Roak. Will the two be reunited?
1. Plogue: Regrets

After reading several short stories regarding Star Ocean: The Last Hope, I have finally decided to write my own. The story is based around Lymle and Faize. Sorry, to those of you who are fans of other characters, but those two have always been my favorites. x3 Alright, I'll spare you my theories about the chemistry of the characters, and just jump right on into the story. :p

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Star Ocean: The Last Hope nor any of it's characters.

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Behind Closed Hearts

Prologue: Regrets

Lymle Lemuri Phi, unable to sleep, worked her way out of bed. She walked over toward her closet, and slipped on a pair of boots, without bothering to first put on socks, then walked over to the wooden door, and opened it slowly. She tip-toed out the front door, being extra careful not to make the floors creak.

After exiting the house, she walked a little ways down a snowy trail, then sat on a rock near the wall, surrounding the town. Outside it was all but dark. The moon and the stars shined upon snow, illuminating everywhere that it had fallen, with a dim glow.

Looking toward the sky, she began to feel nostalgic. After all, only a few months ago she had been far beyond the boundaries of the skies, themselves. She sighed, shifting her gaze to the ground.

_Would you have really stayed, if I told you that ugly old cape looked good on you? _She thought to herself. _It didn't have to be this way, you know. We could have destroyed those stupid rocks, and all be happy, right now._

Tears began forming in the corners of her eyes. She closed her hand, tightly, as if she were gripping onto something as hard as she possibly could. _Why do I care so much about you? Why can't I stop thinking about you? _She closed her eyes, trying to hold off any more tears.

"Lymle," called a familiar voice. She gasped, quickly opening her eyes, and turning her head in the direction of the voice. "Are you okay?" asked her childhood friend, whom she had failed to notice nearing her, in a concerned voice, as she sat down beside Lymle.

"I'm fine, 'kay?" she retorted, her voice quivering. Lutea studied her face for a moment, then frowned, aware the young girl's response was a cover up.

"Have you been crying, Lym?" she questioned, knowingly.

"I said: I'm fine, 'kay?" The small girl replied, exasperation evident in her voice. Taking the hint, she dropped the subject. Lymle turned her focus back toward the ground, her expression unreadable.

"What are you doing out here, so late?" The older girl asked, staring at her friend.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came outside to get some fresh air, 'kay?"

"I see..." Lutea trailed off, dropping her head. She was more than aware Lymle was keeping a lot to herself. She hadn't really been herself, since her return. Every time she approached Lymle to ask how she was feeling, she always had the same answer: "fine," yet her eyes were always so full of pain.

_What could have happened to her?_ She thought, shaking her head. _She moans in her sleep almost every night, sometimes she even screams the name 'Faize'. _

She contemplated for a moment, then turned back to her friend, who hadn't noticed she had even moved. _I'm fairly certain this 'Faize' must have been someone important to her. What I can't figure out is: does she miss him, or did something terrible happen to him?_

After a long silence, the wind began to pick up, as snow started emerging from the sky. "Lym, we better go inside now," Lutea said, giving the young girl's blouse a gentle tug.

"'Kay," she agreed, indifferently. The two girls stood, brushing the snow off of them, and set route toward the house. As the front door closed, the fall of snow almost simultaneously grew in fury.

_I'm sorry, I didn't try to stop you, _Lymle thought, as she began to fall into slumber.

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Okay, I know, the beginning is a little depressing. :[ I promise the whole story won't be this way!

Please tell me what you think, this is my first writing, so some feedback would be really nice. :D


	2. I: Lost

It's time for the first chapter! I really hope everyone enjoys, this is just a hobby, for me, but it's nice whenever other people can find enjoyment from it, as well. So, sit back, grab a drink, and let's get going. :]

Disclaimer: I own no rights to the game Star Ocean: The Last Hope, nor any of it's characters.

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Behind Closed Hearts

I: Lost

Faize Sheifa Beleth, opened his eyes slowly, to find himself in a strange, unfamiliar place. He sat up, weakly, scanning the area for any potential threats. After determining the area was clear, he gave it a second observation, this time trying to decipher where he was.

The area appeared to be a primitive hut, of some sorts. The floors were no more than dirt, and the shelter around him seemed to be made of cloth. Upon examination of himself, he realized a majority of his body was bandaged up.

_Where am I? _He pondered. _The fact that my wounds have been treated is a good sign. That means whoever has taken me in would not appear to be the hostile type._

He struggled up to his feet, tossing aside the tattered blanket that had been covering him, then brushing off the dust that had accumulated on his back. He walked through the door.

Outside, the air was dry, and most of the area was covered in greenery, trees in all directions. It didn't take him long to discover his Sol, a little ways from the hut. It wasn't in very good condition, to say the least. The wings appeared to be broken, and half of the engine was missing: just to mention a few of the issues.

As he approached the Sol, he noticed many tears in the armor, to small to be caused by any armory that could possibly have been aboard a phantom ship. Also, the cockpit appeared to have been pried open, by an outside force. He tilted his head slightly, in bewilderment.

"Hey, you should be resting!" called an unfamiliar, high pitch voice. He quickly turned around, to see a young black haired woman, with animalistic features, clothed in a white gown. She leaned over, to set down several bags that she had been carrying.

_She appears to be of the same race as Meracle. I suppose that means my Sol has taken me to Roak. _The boy concluded. "Oh, I'm sorry," Faize apologized, politely. "I suppose you are the one who has taken care of me?" She nodded.

"That creature had eaten you," she explained, pointing toward the Sol. "I ran out here with my sword, and stabbed it several times, to assure it was dead. Then, I opened it up and rescued you," she explained, looking rather smug.

"I see," the green haired boy played along, fully aware of the cat-like woman's misconception._ I suppose that explained the breaks in the armor, _he though to himself. "I offer you my full gratitude, miss..." he trailed off.

"Creya Umbrite," she introduced herself, finishing his sentence.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Umbrite, I am Faize Sheifa Beleth," he bowed.

"Oh please, call me Creya, there is no need for such formality," she giggled, reaching back down toward the bags.

"Oh, let me help you with that," the Eldarian urged, knowing that it was the least he could do to repay her for such hospitality.

"No, you haven't completely recovered yet. Besides, it's not like they're very heavy," she insisted, carrying them toward a pot, which was hung over a neat pile of wood. Faize nodded, realizing there wasn't anything he could do, now that the task had been completed. She began taking several spices and vegetables out from the bag. "Why don't you go wash up, in the river," she suggested, pointing out into the woods. "It's far enough out that you won't have to worry about me seeing you," she explained, noticing her guest's embarrassed expression.

"I think I will take you up on that offer," he complied.

"Dinner will probably take about an hour, so don't rush yourself."

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied, as he walked into the trees.

*******

Faize grimaced as his body submerged into the river, the water agitating his wounds. After a moment the sting died down, and he could enjoy the soothing feeling of fresh water. He leaned back against a rock, and closed his eyes.

_I'm sorry, Lymle, it looks like you're going to have to wait a little while longer. _He thought. _It seems you right, all a long. I was a 'dummy.'_

The images from Nox Obscurus played over in his head: His thirst for justice. The pain he had evoked upon his friends. His defeat. And most of all, the heartbroken, young girl's tears.

He took a deep breath, then let out a deep sigh. _I will not let these memories hold me back. I am going to learn from my mistakes, and keep moving foward, just like Edge._

The sun began to set, behind the trees. As the green haired boy dressed his eyes were drawn to the black cape. He picked it up, then stared at it for a moment. _Maybe, it's time I let go of you. _He thought, as he carefully placed it over a tree branch.

_Rest in peace. _He smiled, as he set back towards the camp.

By the time he had returned, it was night. The only thing lighting the area was a fire, that Creya was sitting in front of. He walked towards her, and sat down on a crate.

"How was your bath?" she asked, holding out a bowl.

"Refreshing," he answered, as he took the dish.

"I'm sure you're hungry, you were asleep for about a week, you know," the girl grinned.

"What?" the Eldarian questioned, incredulously.

"Yep, a whole week," she confirmed, with a slight nod.

"I'm sorry, if I have kept you from anything. I was not aware you had been watching over me for so long."

"Don't worry about it, I live out here," the girl assured him, cheerfully.

"Again, I thank you." There was a brief silence, neither able to talk, due to mouth-fulls of food.

"Where do you live?" Creya asked, looking toward Faize.

He thought of how to answer for a moment. He quickly came up with a plan.

"I'm from Tropp," he replied, in a very convincing voice.

"Tropp is only a few hours away," she smiled. "Would you like to set out tomorrow?"

"That would be wonderful," the pointy eared boy answered, returning the smile. The woman stood.

"You better get some rest. I'm going to go ahead, make your bed. Just come on in, whenever you're ready," she welcomed. Faize nodded, as she made her way back into the hut.

He turned his head to the stars. _Wait for me, I promise I will come back._

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Lymle Lemuri Phi, walked back and forth across the kitchen, grabbing ingredients then adding them into a bowl. Lutea sat on the side-lines, watching her friend work.

"What is it you're making again, Lym?" she asked, worriedly.

"I'm making cookies, 'kay?" the brown haired girl explained.

"Cookies?" A dish the older girl had never heard of.

"There yummy, round, crunchy things, 'kay?" Lymle clarified, aware the food was out of her childhood friend's palette.

The room was mostly silent. The only noises were the young girls feet against the floor, and the occasional clanking of utensils.

At last, the final product was complete. The child pulled a pan from the oven, then set it onto of the table, with a victorious look upon her face.

"Go ahead, try one, 'kay?" she motioned, toward Lutea, who was already reaching for one of these 'cookies.'

The older girl hesitantly put the pastry into her mouth. Her face lit up.

"These are really good, Lym! I'm impressed," she praised, her mouth still full.

"Save some for doggy, 'kay?" Lymle reminded, knowing that if she didn't there may not be any left, later.

"Where did you learn how to make these?" the light haired girl inquired.

"Reirei taught me, she used to make them all the time. They were Faize's..." the small girl trailed off. She looked down for a moment, then abruptly turned her head to the side. "I don't want any of these cookies," she stated, now suddenly tense.

Lutea looked very confused, as she observed her small friend. _'Faize,' that's the name that she says in her sleep every night,_ she recalled. "Faize?" she asked, out loud.

"Faize is a big, stupid dummy," Lymle said, sourly, as she began toward the door.

"Where are you going?" the older girl asked, startled by her friend's actions.

"I'll be outside, 'kay?" she answered, pulling the door shut behind her.

_How strange... _Lutea thought to herself. _Maybe I should try looking into this 'Faize' a little bit more._

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Incase anyone was wondering Creya is not a character in the game. She came from my head! :O

Hope everyone enjoyed, leave me some feedback, please. :]


	3. II: Visitors

Okay, so I hope everyone is enjoying this. :] I'm trying to get new ones up as fast as I can, in order to gain readers. After chapter three I'll probably be putting new ones up about once a week. Anyways, let's get on with the story, shall we? ^^

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Star Ocean: The Last Hope, nor any of it's characters.

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Behind Closed Hearts

II: Visitors

Meracle, Sarah, and Crowe watched as the white light that had surrounded Eleyna vanished. The pointy eared woman collapsed onto the bed, behind her, out cold. No one reacted with alarm, as this was normal, it happened after many of her auguries.

The Lesser Fellpool's ears shot up, along with the corners of her mouth. "A guest?" she meowed, with delight.

"That's what she said," the Featherfolk agreed, clapping her hands together.

The blue haired girl cheered and danced. "We haven't had guests in forever!"

Eleyna, now regaining consciousness, struggled upward, into a sitting position. "Why are you so upbeat, Alley Cat. After all, **you** will be the one cleaning up and setting the table," the woman shot her down, after only a few moments awareness.

"What?" Meracle shrieked, incredulously. "Why do I have to do it?" she whined.

"One, because I am in no such condition to do so. Two, you are a freeloading feline, who needs to earn her keep here, somehow," she snarled.

"Fine," the cat agreed, apathetically, as she walked out of the room, tail between her legs.

"You best go with her, she'll eat everything if nobody watched her," the fortuneteller turned to her friend, speaking in a much less harsh tone.

"Alrighty," Sarah cooperated, innocently. She made her way toward the kitchen, only after getting caught in the door way, by her own wings.

After a moment, a loud meow filled the house, followed by an equally loud "Oh dear!" then finally, a crash.

The red haired man and his wife sighed in unison. "I better go, too, I don't want either of them to wind up dead while trying to do something as simple as clean house," Crowe suggested, jokingly, as he stood up. He kissed the beastly woman on her cheek, and walked out the door.

"Alley Cat..." Eleyna muttered, darkly, to herself, shaking her head.

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Faize Sheifa Beleth, woke to find himself alone in the hut. He rose from his makeshift bed, and exited the tent. He scanned the area for Creya, but she was nowhere to be found. _Good, now I have a moment to do this, _the boy thought. He climbed into the cockpit of the mass of rubble that used to be his Sol, then flipped a switched labeled: "Distress Beacon," in Eldarian letters. As the switch was activated a red light began blinking on the control device that he wore on his wrist. _Now, it's only a matter of time. I just hope a ship catches wind of the signal, quickly._

After a few minutes, Creya walked out of the woods with several fish cradled in her arms.

"I hope you have an appetite, this morning. I got a little carried away," she laughed, as she placed the scaley creatures into a bucket.

Faize's eyes grew wide. "I think I could only handle two or three," he replied, with a nervous chuckle.

**********

After the two had finished their Viking feast sized breakfast, they set off for Tropp. Nothing particularly eventful happened along the way. Creya told stories of her adventures among the woods, and Faize listened, pretending to be interested. They encountered a few monsters and bandits, here and there, but they posed no threat, to the duo.

Finally, the two arrived at the gates to Tropp.

"Well, I suppose this is farewell. I appreciate all of your help," thanked the Eldarian.

The woman shook her head. "No, it's not a problem. I needed to come to Tropp, anyways," she smiled.

"Would it be rude of me to ask: why?" the green haired boy asked, curiously.

"I need to speak with Lady Eleyna," she explained.

"Lady Eleyna?" Faize asked, somewhat surprised.

"You know her?" The girl tilted her head.

"That's who I am here to see, as well."

"Well then, it looks like it's not farewell after all," the Fellpool announced, cheerfully.

"Indeed."

The two walked through the town. It was much more quieter than the last time Faize had been there, mainly due to the fact that a certain arch fiend cult wasn't stirring up a ruckus, anymore. Alas, they reached the house in the north eastern corner of the village. The dark haired girl knocked on the door. After a moment the door began to open.

"Well, hello Creya," welcomed Eleyna. "Ah, and the stripling is here too," she added, looking toward Faize. "Come in, why don't you?" she invited.

The fortune teller lead the two into the kitchen, where three very surprised faces awaited them.

"Faize?" gasped Crowe, Meracle, and Sarah, in unison.

The boy tried to dodge, but the Lesser Fellpool had already jumped on him, and kissed his cheek.

"It's good to see you too, Meracle," he responded, halfheartedly, as he tried to shake her off.

"It's great to see you again," Sarah greeted, with her usual smile.

Faize frowned, as everyone greeted him. _They all act as if I never tried to kill them... _he trailed off in his head, when he felt a hand plant itself on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Crowe standing right next to him.

"I know what you're thinking, and none of us blame you," the red haired man began. The atmosphere fell quiet. "I had Eleyna do an augury of what I would have chosen, given the option of power given to you, and I would have taken it too,"he explained, shaking his head.

"Crowe..."

"While you all have your little moment, Creya and I will be upstairs discussing business," Eleyna interrupted. The two walked up the stairs. After the awkward silence that followed the interruption, previous conversations continued.

"So... can we eat now?" Meracle meowed, anxiously, fork and knife already in hand.

"Sure thing," the former SRF captain agreed, patting his stomach. "I'm starved."

A question popped into Faize's mind. His face became suddenly riddled.

"Crowe, what are you doing here?" he asked, shocked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. I got swallowed into a black hole, by all logic I should be dead. Next thing I knew, I was on a beach here," he put simply.

"I see."

The four sat down to dinner. They all chattered, reminiscing about old times. After the meal, the two women upstairs made their way back down.

"Well Faize, I'm heading back out," Creya called to him, waving.

"Take care of yourself," the boy replied, returning the gesture.

"I'm sure we'll meet again."

"I would certainly hope so."

The woman walked out the door, everyone waving as she did so. Eleyna now turned her attention to Faize, now that her other guest had departed.

"Stripling, you're going to be staying here for a while, so go make yourself at home in the third room down the hall," she ordered, pointing in the direction of the room.

The boy's expression was full of confusion, but he gave her a quick nod, and set route for quarters, to where he had been assigned. Sarah and Meracle did the same, walking into the first and second doors.

Crowe wrapped his arm around Eleyna's waist. "Are you going to tell him?" he asked, looking toward her.

"No, it is not yet time. It will not be for a while. Besides, I'll tell him and the ragamuffin at the same time, it will be one less speech that I have to give," she explained, with her usual sharp sarcasm.

The red haired man nodded. "That's probably best," he agreed. The coupled walked upstair and into their room. Pretty soon, everyone in the house was asleep.

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Lymle Lemuri Phi tossed and turned as she slept. Her slumber was interrupted when she abruptly came to a sitting position, with a scream. Her head swept the room. She took a deep breath when she realized that she was in her own bed.

The small girl slipped out of her bed, and walked toward the window. It was starting to snow again. She stood, and watched as the falling white painted the ground. She began to think:

_I dreamt of you again._

_Every night it's always the same._

_I see you so clearly._

_Then you reach out to me._

_When I try to take your hand, you disappear into a purple smoke._

_I miss you Faize._

_Please... come back._

_I don't want to be alone anymore..._

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Okay, so let me explain some of my Star Ocean theories. :]

I think that Crowe's ending happened before anybody else's. It must have, he couldn't have been trapped in space for two years. So the conclusion that I came to is, Eleyna found Crowe minutes after he was sucked into the black hole. The rest is pretty self explanatory. :p They get married, just as her auguries had told her, et cetera.

Anyways, about the next chapter! You won't want to miss it, I promise. A very special reunion is in store, and we get to meet up with some of our old friends. :)

See ya', next time!


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